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7 Wounded At Memorial Service In High Point
Seven people have been shot and wounded at a memorial service in North Carolina.
High Point Police Lt. Curtis Cheeks III said in a news release that officers were called about 12:40 a.m. Wednesday and found two people with gunshot wounds.
Cheeks said witnesses told officers the shootings happened during a memorial for Alphonso Macer, Jr., who was found shot to death in a car Monday afternoon.
Officers were called to High Point Regional Hospital about 1 a.m. and found four other patients being treated for gunshot wounds. Another victim was reported at a Greensboro hospital.
One of the victims had serious injuries. The injuries to the other six victims were not considered to be life threatening.
Cooper: Law Lets School Bus Cameras Catch Hurried Motorists
North Carolina motorists could be fined at least $400 if they pass a stopped school bus, according to a new law now in effect.
Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday signed into law legislation that he suggested while still attorney general. The new law allows counties to adopt ordinances and cite motorists by using cameras installed on the stop-arms of buses. The penalties can rise to $1,000 on a third offense.
Cooper and other supporters of the idea have said the cameras will reduce the number of motorists skirting around the buses and increasing the risks for striking children getting on or getting off.
Attorneys: Pressure For Better Schools Should Leave Court
After two decades fighting about public school funding for North Carolina's poorest students, attorneys say it's time for them to step away from the courtroom and leave ongoing disputes to a neutral outsider.
Both sides in the landmark Leandro public school lawsuit are asking a state judge to appoint an independent consultant who will suggest further steps for state officials to improve education for all children.
Gov. Roy Cooper's office on Tuesday released the text of an executive order creating a commission of experts to suggest what the state needs to do next. The governor's commission and the court-appointed consultant would work together.
2nd Duke Energy Utility To Seek Rate Hike In North Carolina
Duke Energy Corp. is giving notice it plans to seek electricity rate increases for another 2 million North Carolina customers.
The country's largest electricity company said Tuesday it's filling its rate request on Aug. 25 affecting customers of Duke Energy Carolinas, the company's western North Carolina subsidiary. The size of the rate hike will be disclosed next month.
The company in June asked state utilities regulators to allow it to raise power bills for 1.3 million North Carolina customers of Duke Energy Progress by an average 15 percent.
UNC Wilmington Reports Record $17.2M In Gifts For 2016-17
Donors contributed a record of more than $17.2 million in gifts and commitments to the University of North Carolina Wilmington during fiscal year 2016-17.
A news release from the school said contributions came from more than 10,000 donors, helping to surpass the 2016 record giving of $14.9 million.
UNCW donors can designate which colleges or programs receive their gifts.
The 2016-17 fiscal year saw an increase in both number of donors and overall gifts. In total, the university received 16,803 gifts, with 87 percent of them in denominations of $250 or less. This year's gifts also include the largest philanthropic commitment in school history, a $5 million gift from former UNCW faculty member Yousry Sayed, and his wife Linda, a UNCW alumna.
Deadly Rip Currents Attributed To Rare Meteorological Event
Five people have been killed in rip currents this summer at North Carolina beaches in what is being partly attributed to a rare meteorological event.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reports a long swell period produces bigger, rougher surf and a greater chance of rip currents. Swell periods refer to the distances between developing waves.
Shane Kearns, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Morehead City, says long swell periods are a rare occurrence on the state's central and southern coast, where all the deaths occurred. Kearns says the wave patterns are not predictable more than a week in advance.
Local officials say waters have calmed, with emergency calls having regressed to the average after the mid-June spike.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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